Only One
by Dashel
Summary: All you need is one person to know you, one person who truly gets you and you can feel happy and complete forever. Kiba & Shino present fic.


_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Naruto nor make any money off him or anyone else in the series despite how many other characters I tend to whore them out to._

_ **Warnings:** Swearing mainly. This is also guy/guy romance. Best to stop now if you don't like that._

_ **Notes:** So this is my present fic for Yamanvie. Finally. Sorry Vie, I know I am crap with the waiting, but I get there in the end. So Vie requested a **Kiba & Shino** fic. I have to admit, it's not a coupling I had ever thought about before so this is my first time not only playing with the relationship building but also with the characters in any great detail. I must warn you that because of this it might seem a little rough. I did have a little difficulty working the unfamiliar relationship as well so I didn't quite get up to the smut either… sorry Vie. No sex, but there's a bit of fun fluff if you squint *looks sheepish*_

_ Anyway I hope it turned out okay. Be gentle with me, it's my first time with these two *grins*_

_ Dash._

**Only One.**

**By Dash.**

"You're still sulking about that?"

Hinata looked warningly at him, which is to say was about as intimidating as a bunny stamping its leg at you, but Kiba chose to ignore it.

They had been out on mission for three days now and Shino was still sulking about not instantly being recognised by Naruto when their friend had come home after being away for more than two years. He seemed especially grumpy that Naruto had recognised both Kiba and Hinata very quickly as well.

But Kiba was frankly sick of his sulking. I mean, okay, Shino wasn't the most happy, energetic person on the planet to begin with, but that was just why his even fouler mood than usual was beginning to really bum Kiba out. At least when he wasn't sulking he would talk occasionally, give a few insights into their conversations and listen to his teammates. But this silent broodiness was getting too much to bear.

Unfortunately even Kiba's jab at him didn't seem to be able to earn him even the barest of glares, which annoyed him even further. Kiba didn't like being ignored.

But he was unable to try another tactic because Kurenai stopped on the trail and motioned for Kiba to come forward.

He joined his captain crouched down on the trail where she pointed out two distinct sets of prints.

"I thought we were only tracking one man," she told Kiba.

"We were!" Kiba told her, a little taken back that she might have doubted his word, or his nose let alone his tracking ability. "There was only one scent, I'm sure of it."

"Well as you can see we have two sets of prints here. They both look the same."

Kiba sniffed the air while Akamaru sniffed around the tracks themselves, careful not to disturb the footprints on the ground. Akamaru looked up and barked at him just as he reached the same conclusion.

"It's the same smell for both tracks. I don't get it," he told her.

"Could it be a clone?" Hinata asked from behind them where she was standing with Shino.

"Not many people can make a clone so realistic as to have the same scent," Kurenai remarked. "But it could be the case. Kiba, is there any way to tell which one is the right trail?"

Kiba studied the two matching set of prints again. They looked identical down to the same tread, the indications that the ninja rolled his feet out a little when he walked, the scent, everything matched. And it annoyed him no end that he couldn't tell what was real and what might be faked.

"No. It's exactly the same."

"I wouldn't have thought this man had the skill," Kurenai mused out loud before standing up again to address her team. "We'll have to split up."

Kiba also got to his feet and rolled his eyes at the same time. He knew where this was going. When they split up Kurenai always teamed with Hinata, which left Kiba, Akamaru and Shino in the other group. Normally this wouldn't bother him because Shino was his friend after all. But Shino's mood was more than annoying him today and he didn't feel up for teaming up with his sulky brooding team mate for who knew how long it would take to determine if they were even trailing the right set of tracks or not. The enemy ninja had a half a days head start of them as it was, so it didn't look good that this would turn out to be a short mission.

"Shino, Kiba, follow the left path. If you don't find anything by sunset tomorrow begin to make your way back here. Oh and we might been to borrow Akamaru. We could use his nose."

"Great," Kiba muttered unhappily.

Kurenai would have been both deaf and blind not to notice the lack of camaraderie between the two guys. She gave Kiba a knowing smile.

"Good luck," Hinata wished them as her and Kurenai began down the right hand path.

Looking back at Shino just to see his friend looking unimpressed and still unhappy made Kiba frown deeply.

"Yeah, thanks."

* * *

By the end of the first day, they had seen nothing that might make them think that they were following the correct path. But then again, there was nothing to suggest they weren't either. This guy had a pretty good head start on them it seemed and they debated while the sun set whether to keep following the path through the night or try to get some sleep.

"With the smell of that guy in my nose I bet I could follow him all night. But if the tracks double back I'm not gonna be able to see well enough to know."

Shino watched him silently while Kiba pondered over the best course of action.

"What do you think?" Kiba asked Shino eventually.

Shino shrugged. "He must have to rest too. It would be better to rest ourselves than possibly lose his trail in the darkness. I will send out my insects to see if they can pick up any chakra, just in case."

"In case of what, ambush? I'd like to see him try."

"I doubt he would, he is someone who kills weaker opponents. He would not attack us with two to one odds against him."

"If you say so," Kiba said, glad that at least one matter had been resolved for the night.

The ground beneath his feet was deep in some areas with fallen pine needles so he chose one of the biggest patches he could find and lay down with a relaxed sigh, hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other.

"Well at least we got the comfortable spot. I bet Hinata and Kurenai-sensei aren't so cosy right now," Kiba remarked with a smile.

Shino didn't say anything but sat down on a similar pile of pine needles next to Kiba.

"C'mon man, don't tell me you're still sulking."

"I'm not sulking," Shino told him in a final sort of tone.

Despite the tone, Kiba was just glad that he had responded to his jabs at last. He sat up quickly with a grin and absently brushed the pine needles out of his hair.

"I knew it, you _were_ sulking! Look, is it really _that_ big a deal that Naruto didn't recognise you?"

"He recognised you and Hinata immediately," Shino pointed out.

"Of course he did! Are you totally stupid? Unlike you, me and Hinata don't walk around with a hood over our heads and dark dark sunglasses over our eyes. You hide more than half your face! Naruto wouldn't have recognised any of us if we all dressed like you do."

Obviously this thought hadn't really occurred to Shino because he spent the next few moments in contemplative silence.

"Why do you wear all that stuff anyhow?" Kiba asked suddenly, peering at Shino intently. "I mean there's nothing wrong with your face. Do you have like eternal bed hair or something?"

"No," Shino replied coldly.

"Alright, alright, fine, I was just asking. But come to think of it, even _I_ haven't seen your eyes before. What's up with that?"

"None of your business."

"Jeez you're even touchier than usual," Kiba said lying back down and attempting to get comfortable once more.

Shino watched his teammate for a few moments before speaking again. At least his tone wasn't so defensive this time.

"Why do you care what my eyes look like?"

"Because we're been friends and team mates for years and I'm curious. I mean you're good looking enough, for a guy," Kiba was quick to add. "I don't get why you wear all those layers that's all. You want to get a girlfriend right?"

"No."

Kiba looked at him half surprised and half confused. "What do you mean 'no'? Every guy our age thinks about girls."

"Not me."

"Well whatever floats your boat then," Kiba said dismissively. Before realising something very important and looking at Shino sharply. "Wait, does that mean you like…you know…?"

"I do not."

"Not what?"

Shino sighed in clear irritation. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Oh," Kiba said relaxing again and not bothering to explain himself further. "I guess that's not it either."

"The kind of person I seek is not someone who is going to care what I wear. They are going to care for me. All you need is one person, just one, who truly understands the person you are to be happy. Looks do not factor into it."

"That's deep dude," Kiba replied unimpressed. "Most guys just want big boobs."

"I thought it would be lost on you."

"Oh and you know me so well huh?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe _I_ should be dating you," Kiba said sarcastically. "By your definition I could live a happy life with someone who truly understands me. Just admit it, it's romantic garbage and I _never_ would have thought I'd hear such shit coming from you."

"So you believe you will be happy in life with big boobs and nothing else?"

"That's what dad says."

"Your father is a moron."

Kiba wondered briefly if he should be upset or angry by that remark. And if it had been anyone but Shino he might have been. But Shino wasn't saying it to be mean. Besides, he thought sometimes his father was a moron too.

"Well, you're right enough there," Kiba admitted. "Look I get it, you're looking for a soul mate or whatever. But you're sixteen, leave the heavy stuff for when you're an adult."

"I am an adult."

"Well maybe _you_ are," Kiba replied eyeing Shino. "But not me. And to prove it I wanna make a bet. Tomorrow I bet you I can find our criminal before your bugs do. If I win you have to take off your glasses for a whole ten seconds."

"What is with your obsession with seeing my eyes?"

"Ah c'mon, I'm all curious now."

"What do I get if I win?"

"Oh I know! Next time I see Naruto I'll smack him upside the head for you."

"You'd enjoy doing that anyway. And besides, if you hit him, he'll just hit you back."

"And _you'd_ enjoy that_._ So whaddya say? Do we have a bet?"

Shino shrugged. "Why not. It's not like I will lose."

* * *

It was unlike Kiba to get up any earlier than necessary especially because last night they hadn't needed to split sentry duties because of Shino cloaking the area in bugs which would alert their master to any foreign chakra signatures the moment they got close to camp.

But there was just something about this bet that had Kiba rise out of his bed of pine needles bright and early today. He so badly wanted to win and he didn't really understand why. Well sure, there had been much debate between himself and his other friends about Shino's unwillingness to show his eyes to the world and here he finally had the opportunity to put that mystery to rest, but there was something a little more personal here too. And it had more to do with Shino's unwillingness rather than the actual goal of seeing his eyes once and for all. And it wasn't even a question of whether he wanted to hide them away because he liked being mysterious or that they might be weird or something. Kiba was far more curious why Shino would hide his eyes even from his closest friends. What could be so important to hide from your best friend? Why did he feel the need? And more importantly, why didn't he trust Kiba enough?

In truth, Kiba hadn't had much sleep last night, he'd been too caught up thinking about the implications and by dawn break it had become less of a game as it had yesterday and more of an obsession.

So while Shino still lay apparently asleep on his own bed of pine needles Kiba snuck off a little ways from camp and attempted to pick up the trail from yesterday. It didn't take him long, the smell of the trail hadn't even faded completely and he smiled to himself smugly, knowing that Shino had no chance of winning now.

A soft clearing of a throat almost made Kiba jump in surprise. He turned his head swiftly to see his teammate standing behind him, arms folded and a somewhat pleased look on his face.

_Nobody_ could sneak up on Kiba like Shino was able to.

"Dude, don't do that!" Kiba exclaimed angrily standing up.

"Don't be so easy to surprise," Shino returned casually.

"I'm not usually, just by you. I found the trail, we should get going."

"I thought the bet prevented us from looking for him together?" Shino asked mildly.

"We can walk together. But if we catch up to him using my tracking before your bugs find him then I still win."

"Fine."

* * *

After getting their gear together they headed out along the trail in silence. It was unusual for Kiba not to talk for such a long stretch of time but he was busy concentrating. _Really_ concentrating. All his senses were tuned into the woods around him, straining to pick up the slightest hint of their quarry.

"What did you mean before when you said it was just me that could surprise you?"

Concentration shattered, Kiba sighed. Shino wasn't usually so chatty and he was annoyed that he was choosing this time of all times to start being so now.

"I have great hearing, sense of smell and instinct for my surroundings so I don't usually get snuck up on, except for you. You always sneak up on me. It's real annoying, ya know."

Kiba was watching the trail in front of his feet and so didn't see Shino frown.

"You don't notice me," Shino concluded.

"No, I guess not."

Shino stopped in his tracks but it took Kiba a few moments to notice Shino wasn't with him so deep in concentration he was.

Eventually he noticed, stopped and turned to stare back at Shino.

"What's up?"

"You don't realise what you just said," Shino guessed darkly.

Kiba blinked in surprised and spent the next few moments thinking back through the conversation before rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Oh c'mon man! I didn't mean it like that, you're way too touchy."

"And just how did you mean it?"

"I meant…" But Kiba didn't know what he meant, he just knew he didn't mean it like Shino thought he did. Truthfully he'd never thought before why Shino never managed to set off his sensory alarms before. It was just the way it was.

But when Kiba didn't reply Shino must have figured he'd had his answer to judge by the cold set to his features.

"We should return to Kurenai-sensei," he told Kiba, turning and beginning to make his way back the way they had come.

"Wait, Shino! We have until sunset remember?"

"There is no need to keep going," he heard Shino say.

Kiba stood on the path in confusion for a while before giving up on trying to understand his friend and starting running to catch up with him. Shino refused to talk to him at all despite the questions asked in varying tones and levels of angry annoyance till they got back to the spot where they had slept last night and Shino gestured up towards one of the trees.

Hanging up there unconscious, the weight of his own sleeping body being held up by a multitude of tiny black bugs was their quarry. The bugs must have been masking his smell because Kiba would have had no idea he was there otherwise.

His confusion at the situation lasted a full minute more before his brows drew together and he turned on Shino.

"You bastard! You had him the whole time!"

"Since early this morning. My insects found him not too far from where we left his trail."

"So what, were you just playing with me this whole time?"

"Yes. But watching you try to win this bet isn't amusing me anymore. We should return."

Kiba huffed once but didn't say anything more. Obviously Shino was pissed at him. First he thought that Naruto hadn't recognised him because he wasn't important and now his own teammate had told him that his presence was the only one he could never feel when he was close by. No doubt this was bothering Shino more than Kiba had initially realised. But that didn't mean he appreciated Shino giving him false hope in the bet this morning. Shino had been an ass well before he himself had been as far as Kiba saw it.

"Fine. I'm sick of you sulking anyway."

* * *

They'd made it back to the Leaf after dark, Kurenai pushing them to go on through dusk to reach home. Kiba hadn't minded because he figured he would be glad to get away from his sullen teammate. The whole way home they hadn't talked and barely spoken to each other. Hinata and Kurenai had let them be but Kiba hadn't missed the shared concerned looks passed between them.

Even Akamaru didn't seem impressed by Kiba's mood and while had stayed comfortingly by his side for the trip home had slunk off after Hinata once they reached the gates despite Kiba's somewhat heated shouts to come back. It was probably a good indication on how little fun he was to be around right now that even his usually ever-faithful companion didn't want anything to do with him.

So he sat by himself at an outside table at his favourite eatery picking at his food and wondering just what had gone wrong. Well Shino was an ass, that's what had happened. His joke of finding their quarry and then hiding him from Kiba just to amuse himself at Kiba's attempts to win the bet were jerkish enough, but now apparently he had taken Kiba's inability to sense him personally.

He really was overly touchy sometimes. Most people probably wouldn't realise that about Shino but he took things really personally sometimes. He could be so sombre about things it was like he couldn't see the light side, ever. Well except for pulling the occasional prank on Kiba like he did today. Which was another thing people probably didn't know about Shino either, his weird sense of humour. But then he only really ever pranked or played jokes on Kiba anyway so that was hardly surprising.

But that got Kiba thinking, there was lots of stuff people didn't really know about Shino and what he could be really like. It was probably because Shino generally kept to himself, Kiba supposed. He really didn't tend to show a lot of himself to people except for Kiba most of the time.

He wondered if it was because Shino was actually comfortable around him and few others. They were best friends but Kiba had previously thought that Shino wasn't the most sharing guy in the world and had even kept things from him. Perhaps he had, but newly realised facts remained the same, Kiba was apparently the one he felt closest to, the one person he was able to show even this small part of himself to and no other.

It made Kiba wonder if it worked in reverse. Unlike Shino, Kiba was a keep-things-close-to-your-chest kind of guy. He generally said what he was thinking and feeling and didn't check himself about anything at all. But still there was a relaxed air he had around Shino. Very relaxed obviously if his own senses and body failed to register Shino as any kind of threat to him…

Kiba sat up straight in his chair. That was it! He failed to notice Shino, not because Shino was unimportant to him but because there was no level of his being that thought of him as a threat at all. His highly trained and tuned senses even caught sense of Hinata when she was close but not Shino. And it wasn't because Shino was stealthier, it wasn't because he ever thought of Hinata as a threat necessarily, it was because he was comfortable with his friend all the way down to the way his body picked up and registered everything of his surroundings. He was a ninja, he was trained not to have blind trust but there was one individual that his brain subconsciously just accepted being around without thought and that was Shino.

Kiba got up with a determined air, tipping the chair over behind him in the process. He was going to march right over to Shino's now and tell the stubborn asshole just how important he was to him!

* * *

It was Kiba's general determined attitude that often caused him the most problems. Sometimes he went straight from good idea to doing, without proper thought in between. Proper thought was something that happened later when he was confronted with the downfalls in his grand plan. This was what was happening now as he stared at an obviously sleep tousled Shino standing at his door late at night while he ranted at him about non-threatening comfort and closeness with enough volume to wake up most of the household.

After Kiba had finished his explanation Shino looked even less enlightened and perhaps a shade even more pissed than before. He clearly wasn't getting this.

"Is this something that can wait until tomorrow?" Shino asked tiredly.

"No," Kiba told him a little less certainly than he had sounded a few minutes ago. "Don't be an ass, 'cause what I'm telling you is important."

"You can't tell but I am rolling my eyes," Shino returned eventually.

"I'm not explaining this well," Kiba guessed. "Look come for a walk with me. If I don't say this now it'll bug me so bad I won't be able to sleep."

"So instead you decided that it should stop me from sleeping?"

"Um…yes?" Kiba tried smiling widely though somewhat apologetically. "C'mon, I know you're pissed at me, but you know you can never stay pissed at me for long."

Shino sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Surprisingly after his ten minute long rant on Shino's doorstep he fell oddly quiet as they walked away from Shino's house. It wasn't until they got to the park down the street where they both sat on the chilly grass under the three quarter full moon that Kiba finally found his voice again. It was bright enough to see Shino's weary expression clearly thanks to the moon and the multitude of lamps around the park. It made him think that perhaps now was a good time to try that 'thinking' thing.

"Maybe I should start at the beginning again," he suggested.

"Yes. And when you begin this time I would suggest less crazy ranting than before as well."

"Hey this is supposed to be all deep and stuff, don't be an asshole!"

"I assume it is also supposed to be understandable as well. I am merely trying to help you achieve this."

"Fine. Look I'll give you the short version then. The reason I can't sense you, it's because I don't have to."

Shino clearly didn't understand.

"My brain," Kiba continued doggedly, "it doesn't register you as a threat at all. I can sense everyone else, even Hinata, Kurenai, everyone, but not you. I figured it out, it's because on no level do I consider you as anything but a friend, an ally and completely and totally trusted. You get that, right?"

"You think your senses overlook my presence because it is inconsequential?"

"Well yes, but not like you mean to say it. It's because every single part of my body knows you and is comfortable with you being near me. It's the only reason it wouldn't alert me, it's too busy searching for threats that _are_ there."

Shino nodded slightly. "Interesting theory."

"Hey it's not a theory. I spent a real long time thinking this over. I mean I don't even smell you when you sneak up. I can smell when the grass is being cut across town but I can't smell you behind me? And I know you have a smell, I can smell you when I know you are there. Hell when I think about where you are I can smell you just as clearly as I can the grass."

"So I smell now?"

"Fucking hell, Shino, don't things so personally! I know you well, I know your smell like I mine. It's a closeness thing, not a bad thing!"

"Closeness?"

"Yeah."

Kiba watched Shino closely for a while before he saw the ghost of a smile creep over his face. Kiba couldn't help but grin in return.

"See I knew you'd get it if I explained it!" Kiba exclaimed triumphantly.

"You knew huh?"

"Of course. Hey it's not just you who knows me so well. It goes both ways ya know. That's how I worked this all out. I just thought about how close we are and there it was."

Shino regarded him for a few silent moments apparently in deep thought before he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

"Do you still really want to see my eyes?"

Of all the things he had expected, this had not been it. "Well sure. But hey, you didn't lose the bet so it's like you have to."

Shino shrugged and in the biggest anticlimactic unveiling ever, reached up and swiftly took his shades off. Blinked a few times and then looked his friend in the eye. Well the unveiling had been anticlimactic but the viewing wasn't.

Kiba felt his mouth drop open but he couldn't hide his surprise. In retrospect this was perhaps not the most encouraging reaction ever but he hadn't been able to help it. Who'd have thought it?

Evidently Shino took it the wrong way though and frowned before reaching back up to replace his shades.

Kiba finally found his voice. "Wow dude! That's so cool! Lemme see again!"

"No," was the immediate reply. Obviously Shino had thought the worst again and was unprepared by Kiba's enthusiasm.

Ignoring him completely Kiba reached up and removed the sunglasses himself and set to stare some more.

"That's so amazing," he said in a mesmerised voice.

"Amazing?"

"Of course. Huh, I always thought it was gonna be way gross or something but guess I was wrong after all-"

Shino had stopped him from talking and it took Kiba's brain a few moments to realise why. His lips were moving but only because they were being pushed against by something cool and soft perhaps a little anxious in their movements.

It was Shino's lips. Holy fuck.

His eyes snapped back open as he became aware for the first time of closing them and drew back fractionally.

"Ummm," Kiba began awkwardly, his face mere inches away from Shino who hadn't attempted to move away.

"Remember what I was saying about only one person?" Shino asked quite calmly, despite what had just happened.

"Yeah. Wait, you think I'm it for you?"

"It's something I had thought about before," Shino admitted.

"So I guess that's why you were so pissed before when I said I didn't react to you."

"I might have, as you said, taken it a little personally. Plus you have evidently spent the entire night thinking of how to try and set things right between us. There must be some part of you that cares deeply about how I think. You are always trying to get me out of my own moods and make me happier. With most people you wouldn't try so hard."

Well that was true he guessed. It wasn't like he enjoyed pissing people off but he didn't generally go so far to set things right either. But he always tried with Shino, it was true. There was just something so fascinating about getting to know his friend, every part of his friend as it turned out to judge by the effort he had put into just catching a ten second glimpse at his friend's eyes.

Not to mention as far as kissing went, Shino as it turned out, wasn't half bad. Again his brain hadn't reacted to any wrongness straight away. Shino had caught him off guard again because his body and senses obviously felt that this was also no problem, no threat and completely okay.

And besides, he'd never really liked big boobs anyway.

"You're supposed to say something," Shino reminded him.

"Ah, I was just thinking that my dad really _is _a moron."

Shino gave him a half smile but it was gone a moment later when Kiba kissed him back.

* * *

Naruto had been walked along beside Sakura toward the meeting point where their team was supposed to gather when something impacted with the back of his head roughly causing him to take a swift step forward and pain to radiate up through the back of his skull.

He snapped his head back up and around, seeking out this new threat but only saw Kiba standing behind him with Akamaru, the latter of which barked excitedly at Naruto.

"Kiba, what the hell!"

"Just settling a bet," Kiba told him. "Besides you shouldn't ignore important people."

"What? I don't… whatever Kiba, you're so gonna pay for that!"

Sakura watched the mild scuffle break out and was about to roll her eyes before she caught sight of Shino standing a little ways back watching the scene with folded arms.

He had a very pleased look on his face.

The End.

* * *

_Notes: I don't know why Kiba says 'dude' a lot. I think maybe I watched too much abridged haha. Anyway, so sorry Vie, I wanted to write some perversion for you but alas my imagination sort of threw up nothing much as far as sex was concerned, but oh well, here's hoping you forgive me *looks hopeful* Don't get me wrong, I do like these characters but have felt little inclination to write a story for them. But you know me, I likes a challenge so thanks Vie for suggesting it and being patient for the final product. I hope it's more or less what you wanted. _

_Oh and yeah, I know I didn't put a description of Shino's eyes in here, I did that on purpose. Imagination is a wonderful thing ;)_

_Dash._


End file.
